Behind Erin Kraus was nothing but a lot of space.
Kraus Leads Castle View to Victory
110 girls toed the white starting line with the story nearly already told.
As soon as smoke rose from the starter's gun, Castle View had already set a hot pace. The Sabercats jumped off the line for an immediate lead, setting the stage for senior Erin Kraus to run away for victory. It was evident early on that this would be her race.
Within the first mile Kraus already held a slight lead over Dakota Ridge's Skylar Lodice, and it would only grow from there.
"We went out a little fast," Kraus explained. "I still died a little, but I kept it together enough to win."
Kraus cruised through two miles without a competitor in sight in 12:26 while loyal Sabercat fans cheered her on.
As the race wore on, her lead only increased. When Kraus entered the final straightaway, she knew the victory was hers. She had dominated the field by 28-seconds, finishing 19:53. Brighton's Kiran Green made a strong surge through the final mile to finish second in 20:21, while Dakota Ridge's Lodice faded to third in 20:32.
While Kraus made winning look easy, the team race was tight until the final mile. Kraus led Castle View to a team title, tallying 58 points. Sophomore Kailey Seymour led the freshman duo of Leaya McKinney and Zoe Fotinos to top-16 finishes while sophomore Stefania Navarez locked Castle View's victory as their fifth runner, finishing 21st.
Dakota Ridge made a late charge, but it wasn't enough to overtake the Sabercats. Dakota Ridge finished second with 78 points, while Longmont nearly claimed an upset by finishing third with 82 points.